MiR-1188 at the imprinted Dlk1-Dio3 domain acts as a tumor suppressor in hepatoma cells

The aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has frequently been reported in cancer studies; miRNAs play roles in development, progression, metastasis, and prognosis. Recent studies indicate that the miRNAs within the Dlk1-Dio3 genomic region are involved in the development of liver cancer, but the role of miR-1188 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the pathway by which it exerts its function remain largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that miR-1188 is significantly down-regulated in mouse hepatoma cells compared with normal liver tissues. Enhanced miR-1188 suppresses cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and inhibits the tumor growth of HCC cells in vivo. Moreover, overexpressed miR-1188 promotes apoptosis, enhances caspase-3 activity, and also up-regulates the expression of Bax and p53. MiR-1188 directly targets and negatively regulates Bcl-2 and Sp1. Silencing of Bcl-2 and Sp1 exactly copies the proapoptotic and anti-invasive effects of miR-1188, respectively. The expression of apoptosis- and invasion-related genes, such as Vegfa, Fgfr1, and Rprd1b, decreases after enhancement of miR-1188, as determined by gene expression profiling analysis. Taken together, our results highlight an important role for miR-1188 as a tumor suppressor in hepatoma cells and imply its potential role in cancer therapy.     

Efficient CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Graphdiyne (GD)‐Modified P3HT Hole‐Transporting Material

Novel large π‐conjugated carbon material, graphdiyne (GD), as a dopant to poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) hole‐transporting material (HTM) layer, is introduced into perovskite solar cells for the first time. Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal that relatively strong π–π stacking interaction occurs between GD particles and P3HT (so‐called P3HT/GD composite HTM), favorable for the hole transportation and improvement of the cell performance. On the other hand, some GD aggregates exhibit a scattering nature, and thus help to increase the light absorption of the perovskite solar cells in the long wavelength range. As high as 14.58% light‐to‐electricity conversion efficiency is achieved, superior to the pristine P3HT‐based devices. Additionally, the devices exhibit good stability and reproducibility. Time‐resolved photoluminescence decay measurements reveal that the P3HT/GD HTM can accelerate the hole extraction compared with pristine P3HT.     

An integrative proteome analysis of different seedling organs in tolerant and sensitive wheat cultivars under drought stress and recovery

Roots, leaves, and intermediate sections between roots and leaves (ISRL) of wheat seedlings show different physiological functions at the protein level. We performed the first integrative proteomic analysis of different tissues of the drought‐tolerant wheat cultivar Hanxuan 10 (HX‐10) and drought‐sensitive cultivar Chinese Spring (CS) during a simulated drought and recovery. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the roots (122), ISRLs (146), and leaves (163) showed significant changes in expression in response to drought stress and recovery. Numerous DEPs associated with cell defense and detoxifications were significantly regulated in roots and ISRLs, while in leaves, DEPs related to photosynthesis showed significant changes in expression. A significantly larger number of DEPs related to stress defense were upregulated in HX‐10 than in CS. Expression of six HSPs potentially related to drought tolerance was significantly upregulated under drought conditions, and these proteins were involved in a complex protein–protein interaction network. Further phosphorylation analysis showed that the phosphorylation levels of HSP60, HSP90, and HOP were upregulated in HX‐10 under drought stress. We present an overview of metabolic pathways in wheat seedlings based on abscisic acid signaling and important protein expression patterns.     

Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) modulates antiviral activity of zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP)

Zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is a host factor that specifically inhibits the replication of certain viruses, including HIV-1, Ebola virus, and Sindbis virus. ZAP binds directly to specific viral mRNAs and recruits cellular mRNA degradation machinery to degrade the target RNA. ZAP has also been suggested to repress translation of the target mRNA. In this study, we report that ZAP is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). GSK3β sequentially phosphorylated Ser-270, Ser-266, Ser-262, and Ser-257 of rat ZAP. Inhibition of GSK3β by inhibitor SB216763 or down-regulation of GSK3β by RNAi reduced the antiviral activity of ZAP. These results indicate that phosphorylation of ZAP by GSK3β modulates ZAP activity.     

Complete genome sequence of a highly prevalent porcine circovirus 2 isolated from piglet stool samples in China

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the etiologic agent of porcine circovirus-associated disease. Here, we first report the complete genome sequence of PCV2 strain JSTZ, which was isolated from piglet stool samples and is highly prevalent in China. It will help in understanding the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of PCV2.     

Small-molecule inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication by targeting the interaction between Vif and ElonginC

The HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) protein is essential for viral replication. Vif recruits cellular ElonginB/C-Cullin5 E3 ubiquitin ligase to target the host antiviral protein APOBEC3G (A3G) for proteasomal degradation. In the absence of Vif, A3G is packaged into budding HIV-1 virions and introduces multiple mutations in the newly synthesized minus-strand viral DNA to restrict virus replication. Thus, the A3G-Vif-E3 complex represents an attractive target for development of novel anti-HIV drugs. In this study, we identified a potent small molecular compound (VEC-5) by virtual screening and validated its anti-Vif activity through biochemical analysis. We show that VEC-5 inhibits virus replication only in A3G-positive cells. Treatment with VEC-5 increased cellular A3G levels when Vif was coexpressed and enhanced A3G incorporation into HIV-1 virions to reduce viral infectivity. Coimmunoprecipitation and computational analysis further attributed the anti-Vif activity of VEC-5 to the inhibition of Vif from direct binding to the ElonginC protein. These findings support the notion that suppressing Vif function can liberate A3G to carry out its antiviral activity and demonstrate that regulation of the Vif-ElonginC interaction is a novel target for small-molecule inhibitors of HIV-1.     

Complete genome sequence of a novel species of Porcine Bocavirus, PBoV5

Porcine bocavirus 5 is a novel porcine bocavirus species found in a pig with clinical diarrhea from a farm in China. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of strain PBoV5/JS677, which will help toward understanding the molecular and evolutionary characteristics of the porcine bocavirus.